Fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) is a change in telecommunications that attempts to remove differences between fixed or wireline networks and mobile or wireless networks. Currently, FMC does not support policy rules, such as quality of service (QoS) rules, when a subscriber roams from a wireless service provider network, which uses a wireless access network (e.g., a third generation (3G) network, a long term evolution (LTE) network, etc.), to a wireline service provider network, which uses a fixed-broadband access network, (e.g., a fiber network, a digital subscriber line (DSL) network, an Ethernet network, etc.), and vice-versa. Two major standards organizations, the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and the Broadband Forum (BBF), have unsuccessfully attempted to address this problem.
For example, policy servers based on 3GPP standards are either being developed, in trial, or are in the initial stages of deployment along with the LTE/3G+ deployment. One proposed solution suggests that a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) device, in an Enhanced Packet Core (EPC) of a wireless access network, provides the policy/QoS related parameters relevant in the wireless access network to a policy server (e.g., a broadband policy control function (BPCF) device) in a wireline access network. The policy/QoS parameters are provided from the PCRF device to the BPCF device through an interface when a subscriber switches from the wireless network to a fixed broadband network associated with the wireline access network. The BPCF device uses the policy/QoS parameters to enforce policy rules at a policy control enforcement function (PCEF) device, such as a router, for a subscriber session in the wireline network domain.
In such an arrangement, the BPCF device must provide mapping from the wireless access network-specific policy/QoS parameters to fixed broadband-specific policy/QoS parameters. In situations in which the wireline network cannot fully provide resource and policy/QoS requirements for the subscriber for a specific type of service, the BPCF device needs to provide a counter offer to the PCRF device. This requires two-way communications between policy servers from the wireless network and the wireline network, and results in a very complex and expensive architecture.